Overview:
The KUB/KYB is a loitering munition developed by Kalashnikov and ZALA Aero Group. After launch, the drone can loiter in the air to detect a target and then attack it from a vertical trajectory. This allows it to attack tanks, piercing the turret from above where it “has minimal armour protection”, but also other targets like air defence systems. It is intended to not be seen by traditional radar. In 2021, a naval version was developed and tested that can be used from high-speed boats and special-purpose ships.
Autonomy:
Target coordinates are specified by the operator or acquired through automatic target recognition. It can perform “real-time recognition and classification of detected objects”.
This is the Russian ZALA Kub-BLA (Куб-БЛА), sometimes referred to as the KYB-UAV or the Cube (Kub), a High-Explosive (HE), Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), designed for reconnaissance and strike attacks (suicide or kamikaze drone) used by several branches of the Russian… pic.twitter.com/5QRbhVAsyt
— CAT-UXO (@CAT_UXO) August 30, 2023
Other:
Is intended to operate in a swarm.
Type: Loitering munition
Developer:
Kalashnikov and ZALA Aero Group
Country: Russia
Year: First shown at international defence exhibition “IDEX 2019”, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Use:
ISR and target engagement
Size: 1210 mm x 950 mm x 165 mm
Weight: payload maximum weight is 3 kg
Speed: 80-130 km/h
Max time of operation: 30 min
Payload: Sensors and explosive warhead